QUIRINDI HIGH SCHOOLNewsletter

QUIRINDI HIGH SCHOOL113 Hill Street, Quirindi, NSW, 2343 Phone - 02 6746 1177

Fax - 02 6746 2648 E - quirindi-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Term 3 -

Week 6

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 29TH 2018

AGQUIP CATERING

RUGBY FINALS - FRIDAY NIGHT

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

DANCEFEST EXPERIENCE

HOST WITH THE MOST

QUESTACON CONNECTIONS

Year 12 have now completed their trial examinations and are on the home straight heading towards the HSC. The next 5 weeks are their last at QHS. It is becoming very real for them now.Year 10 students have been going through a rigorous process of interviews in relation to subject choices they are making for year 11 and 12. These interviews are very important as it helps students make better informed decisions.We have a year 7 to 12 parent teacher evening coming up on Tuesday September 18th from 4pm to 7pm in the school hall. Our booking system will be available in the near future for parents and carers. We are hoping to have representatives from some of the universities attend this evening to give HSC students and parents the opportunity to find out about university life, what to expect and what to do. If families haven’t had experiences with universities this will hopefully be a great opportunity to be able to speak first hand. If it can be arranged and works well for the school community, we will try and make it an annual event for this particular parent/teacher evening.You will notice that we have adjusted the date of our presentation day to Thursday December 6th. We have done this to accommodate the P&C Christmas lights festival. Hopefully this does not

inconvenience families. Our presentation is a day time event and starts at 10am.Year 12 students will have their graduation ceremony at the end of this term. We will be presenting those year 12 students who have come first in their courses with their certificates on this day also. Students felt this was a good idea as many of them are unable to attend the presentation day at the end of the year due to work commitments or travel. (Students in year 12 who receive special awards will still be asked to be in attendance on presentation day).I would like to acknowledge the fact that QHS was the recipient of 5 round bales of fodder through the ‘Help A Farmer’ scheme. This significant donation has assisted our Ag program greatly. Our students have also been able to contribute to the local farming community and are heading out and about to assist local farmers with jobs on their properties. There is a benefit for the students in this as well. Students get to make contacts with local producers and further develop their skills as part of their learning. Funds raised and donated by Bellingen High School have gone toward supporting this program.

Ian Worley - Principal

STATE TOP TEN

QHS students have been putting in the hard yards at this year’s AgQuip. Our Year 11 QHS Hospitality and Year 10 Canada Excursion students have been kept busy catering at the Santa Gertrudis stand. Students are fundraising for the school and gaining an insight into the hustle and bustle of the Hospitality industry at the same time.AgQuip has been running since 1973 and is located on a permanent, purpose-built site, eight kilometres west of Gunnedah. The event attracts over 100,000 visitors each year over the three-day period and has proven to be a much-anticipated event for both exhibitors and attendees alike.QHS are hoping to sell over 1600 steak sandwiches. Well done students and teachers for your efforts over the three days.

STEAKSARE HIGH

Congratulations to all our QHS students who participated in Dance Fest in Tamworth on August 15-17. Teacher, Mrs Hinsley and students choreographed 2 dances for the QHS groups.The performances took place at the TREC on Thursday and Friday night from 7pm with a matinee on Friday. Well done Mrs Hinsley and the participants for all your hard work and dedication in preparing for the three days of dance.

DANCE FEST

The Cambridge Dictionary describes ‘dissection’ as: To cut open something, especially a dead body or a plant, and study its structure: To examine or consider something in detail.Year 10 and Year 8 students undertook the art of dissection recently, when Teacher, Miss Morrow, set up two projects for her students.“The year 10 Science students undertook a dissection on the internal and external structures of a sheep’s brain and all students made progress in moving towards their learning goals. It proved a great exercise in using their knowledge and learning and transferring it across to an actual organ,” said Miss Morrow. The Science students have been studying the coordination system.“The brain is the control centre of the body and students undertook the study of a sheep’s brain

as both it and a sheep’s heart are similar in operation and size to that of a human brain and heart.”Miss Morrow’s, Year 8 students used dissection techniques on the chambers of the heart in relation to the direction of blood flow. The Year 8 syllabus looks at the system of a functioning organism in a body and this project enabled students to developing their practical skills through learning.“Dissection is a really important skill to share with students as they can see what’s going on inside animal bodies and understand more about the way things function inside their own bodies.”Year 12 Biology undertake dissection in their studies, so the current learning is also aimed at developing those skills through experience.

QHS students, with the guidance of English Teacher Miss Wall are exploring the world of assonance in last week’s Creative Writing Class.Students in today’s class are examining hip-hop and spoken word artist Luka Lesson’s poem: Please Resist Me.“Like rap music and poetry combined, the artist uses assonance to engage the listener and create flow in the piece,” said Miss Wall.Assonance, is the repetition of a vowel sound in a line of text or poetry used for some of the same reasons as alliteration (repetition of same beginning consonant sound). It can affect the rhythm, tone, and mood of a text. Tongue twisters often use a combination of alliteration and two different forms of assonance or the repetition of two different vowel sounds. This is what makes them so difficult to say.Miss Wall’s Creative Writing Class run’s weekly on Wednesdays from 3.30pm to 5.pm, contact Miss Wall if you would like to join in to enhance your writing knowledge and have fun.

THE ART OF DISSECTION

THE GRAMMATICAL DANCE OFASSONANCE

Congratulations to QHS Teacher, Mr Miggins on achieving your Certificate of Accreditation ‘Proficient Teacher’ as per the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.Teachers share a significant responsibility in preparing young people to lead successful and productive lives. The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (the Standards) reflect and build on national and international evidence that a teacher’s effectiveness has a powerful impact on students. Effective teachers can be a source of inspiration and, equally importantly, provide a dependable and consistent influence on young people as they make choices about further education, work and life. Developing professional standards for teachers that can guide professional learning, practice and engagement facilitates the improvement of teacher quality and contributes positively to the public standing of the profession.‘Proficient Teachers’ are active participants in their profession and with advice from colleagues identify, plan and evaluate their own professional learning needs. Congratulations Mr Miggins!

TEACHING ACHIEVEMENT

When Kayla Sweeney from Coffs Harbour first saw the impact of drought across the Liverpool Plains region, she immediately wanted to hook a trailer up to her car and deliver a few small bales of hay to farmers.“Then I decided to ask some of my family if they would like to assist and set up a Facebook page ‘Help a Farmer’. Before I knew it, we had enough funding - from family and community - to send two truck-loads of hay and a few livestock lick-blocks and some family care packages.”Kayla and her family then sourced hay from Grafton, sorted the other goods and coordinated the delivery on the weekend, including a truck, time and diesel donated by Jared Camilleri from Shoreline Freighters.Kayla said they were overwhelmed by the welcome they received on farms.“We have been welcomed with open arms, it’s been very emotional with some farmers

experiencing exceptional stress in the face of this drought. It’s been as much about talking to farmers to let them know we care as it has about delivering assistance,” said the Dental Nurse and mother of one.Kayla, her husband James, father, Barry Dickinson and friend Jared Camilleri made the journey to Big Jacks Creek near Willow Tree to deliver their first drop off to farmers in need of fodder. The trucks then travelled out to ‘Gunning’s’ property to drop-off fodder and goods for collection by other producers – the Gunning’s did not take any of the donated fodder for their own use – before heading on to Gooli, then Tamworth.“It’s been an emotional journey, to see first-hand just how severe the drought is and how – due to the massive demand for fodder - farmers are now struggling to get feed for

their livestock,” continued Kayla, who added Mullaway Public School students had held a fundraiser, collecting around $800.00 which had been donated towards the purchase of the fodder and goods.Five bales of hay from the donation were gifted to the Quirindi High School Agricultural Farm, with school representatives Macey Patton and Nicholas Hamblin attending the donation on Saturday.“This donation of fodder is so appreciated by Quirindi High School. It’s been terrific to meet Kayla, James, Barry and Jared and be able to thank them in person. We are also very grateful to all their family and friends and Mullaway Public School who donated, it’s really heart-warming to know people care and are aware of what producers are experiencing in this drought,” said Macey.

Help a farmer

Students from local Primary schools, plus QHS students from Years 7 to 9 had a great time on Friday participating in a series of workshops hosted by the energetic team from Questacon.Through team work and enquiry based learning, students used tools and simple materials to complete various challenges including creating an electronic circuit to make music. Workshops on today will be engaging, educational and exciting.Did you know, Questacon is an interactive science centre located near Canberra. Questacon’s current building was Japan’s present to Australia for the 1988 Bicentenary and it was opened on 23 November 1988. It was developed by Professor Mike Gore, a physics lecturer from the Australian National University. Professor Gore went on to become the founding Director of Questacon.Thank you, Jeremy, Bec and Sarah from Questacon for making the journey to share the joys of science. Thank you to teacher, Miss Gomboso for sharing your passion for science with students today.

CIRCUIT MAKERS

Last week QHS undertook its self-assessments validation under the School Excellence Framework. This process was conducted by an external panel. Each year, a group of schools are nominated to participate in the external validation process being undertaken at QHS.The process provides an opportunity for the school to discuss judgements about their practice – and the evidence that underpins them – with a panel of peers. QHS Principal, Mr Worley welcomed Mr Griffiths, Principal, School Leadership and Ms Lewis, Erskine Park High School, Principal for the validation process.“We believe that well–informed, quality teaching practice underpins learning success. QHS actively enables student success through innovative curriculum delivery intended to build student skills, values and resilience for the future. We welcome the external validation and look forward to their feedback,” said Principal, Mr Worley.Thank you to both Mr Griffiths and Ms Lewis for visiting our school last.

Congratulations to all our students who represtend QHS recently at the North West Athletics Carnival in Tamworth. All students represented the school with pride and the camaraderie between atheletes was one to revel in.QHS students set three new records at the 2018 North West Secondary Athletics Carnival.Lacie Quigley set two of them. Amazingly, one of the records Lacie broke was her own - set the previous year in the 14 years 1500m.She clocked a time of 4:45:63 to shave more than four seconds off her previous record.Lacie then broke K Beattie’s record, which was set in 1991, in the 14 years 3000m event by about 17 seconds.Lachlan Tydings threw 52.01m in the 17 years and over discus to beat Tenterfield High School’s Chris Mikkleson’s 2003 record of 51.3m. The closest competitor was throwing 25m, less than half that of Lachlan.Our youngest competitor Jessie Paterson who had to share a lane in the 100m, was tripped, got up and finished the race as fast as he could – he displayed outstanding courage and grit.Two students showed off their all-round talent to be selected to compete at the NSW CHS Carnival in six separate events: Georgie Auld and Caitlyn Etheridge – both Under15 year girls.

Athletes to participate were; GIRLS; Taylah Douglas, Molly Owen, Molly Elford, Maddie Hearn, Lacie Quigley, Lacey Newcombe, Jayde Ferguson, Jasmine Verrall, Jasmin Fisher, Jamiah Hunt, Georgie Auld, Ella Worley, Caitlyn Etheridge and Ashya McCrae.BOYS: Jayden Shields, Jessie Patterson, Ronin Haddon, Thomas Boorer, Ethan Campbell, Lachlan Tydings, Levi Allan, Tyler Vagg, Taylor Jordan Jarrett, Jaylen Darcy, Ayden Crowther and Oscar Thistle.Our qualifiers for the next round of the CHS Carnival are:Georgie Auld – Steeple, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and the U15’s Girls relay.Molly Elford – 90m Hurdles, 200m hurdles, Long Jump and U15’s Girls relay. Molly is on the road to recovery since having broken her ankle playing OzTag . We wish Molly a speedy recovery!Caitlyn Etheridge - 90m hurdles, 200m hurdles, 200m, 400m, Long Jump and U15’s Girls relay.Taylor Jordan Jarrett - Shot Put.Ashya McCrae – Steeple and 3000m.Lacey Newcombe - U15’s Girls relay.Lacie Quigley – 400m, 800m, 1500m and 3000m.Lachlan Tydings – Discus.Congratulations to all students – we look forward to cheering you on at the CHS Carnival in two weeks time.

EXTERNALVALIDATION

RECORD BREAKERS - SPECTATORS movers & shakers

Marking an end to this year’s Science Week, QHS Teachers, Miss Gomboso and Miss Morrow hosted fascinating experiments in Lab 2 at Lunch-time on Tuesday.This year’s theme for National Science Week

was ‘Game Changers and Change Makers’ and the series of today’s experiments included: - Virtual Reality Headset Experience - Non-Newtonian Fluid - Laser Refraction- Elephants Toothpaste – Bubbles and liquid nitrogen.

Over 30 students from all year groups participated in the event and shared laughter and learning. Thank you to our Science Department for your efforts in preparing and presenting today, it was such a fun filled event.

A team of QHS rugby players from all years was thrown-together last Wednesday. The team then made the climb to Armidale for the University of New England Rugby 7’s Gala Day. The team was greeted with icy cold winds, that would put our Friday Night Games to shame, and an apparent ‘lack of acclimatisation’ left the boys a-bit touched up in the first game against Farrer Gold. “However, as the day progressed the boys won their two remaining pool games, and secured a well-earned spot in the semi-finals.

Unfortunately, by this stage in the day, our team was two men down with no subs. The final score was not a white wash however, with Bailey Swain coming away with two unconventional chip and chase tries. Overall, great effort from the boys that made the trip,” said Teacher, Mr Hamilton Final result 3rd place or maybe 4th?... They didn’t say, so let’s go with 3rd. Great effort boys and Thank you Mr Hamilton for taking the team and cheering them on in arctic conditions.

RUGBY 7’sGALA DAY

FASCINATING SCIENCE

The severity and duration of the current Drought has led QHS Year 11 Primary Industry students and Teacher, Miss Sozou to instigate a project to assist some of our local farmers.As the strain of the ongoing-drought continues,

students will be heading on-farm to assist local producers with hands-on jobs.“We know our farmers are doing it tough and we hope to help with a range of tasks, from fencing and feeding stock, to assisting with machinery or other jobs a producer may need support with,” said Miss Sozou.The first – of what is hoped to be more – of the “Sharing a hand on the land” days is set to kick off on Tuesday 28th of August.AMAZING SUPPORT: Thanks to their wonderful fundraising efforts, Bellingen High School – our Sister School – have very generously elected to support the event in the form of funding the purchase of ingredients - for the QHS Hospitality

students and Teacher, Mrs Lawson to prepare a lunch for the day.The meal break and the student workshops will give the farmers a chance to have a break, a meal and a chat - to assist with jobs on the farm and in keeping their spirits and mental health up. “Around 30% of our students live on farms, a further 35% have parents that depend on the agricultural industry for income and the remainder have families who are effected by the drought. These current conditions are effecting all of us and its uplifting at tough times like this to see our QHS community uniting to help,” said Head Teacher Agriculture, Mr Harries.

DAY 1 TUESDAY AUGUST 14 - A VALIANT EFFORT- QHS Open Touch Football team had a tough day of competition on-field at Bateau Bay in the CHS State Finals.The team dug deep, but sadly went down 6-2 to Tomaree High School and 9-2 to Narara High School (Narara - anticipated to be one of the top teams) and played Warilla High School in the third game for a close result going down 8-6.Coach Mr Harris and Teacher Mr Grayson were on deck supporting the boys and were pleased with their efforts and dedication.

“They lost the toss in all three matches, which saw the opposition get the jump on them. QHS played as a cohesive and focussed team, they were united and acquitted themselves well against tough opposition in all matches and should be very proud,” said Mr Grayson, who added former QHS students Ray Kelly and John McNamara saw the pre-event post on the FB page and arrived to cheer the boys on.DAY 2 - STRONG WINQHS Open Boys Touch Football Team were undefeated, winning their game against Young

High School 4-2. The boys did not make the finals this year, but did themselves and the school proud and will be a force to reckon with into the future. Well done boys and thank you to Mr Harris and Mr Grayson. Thank you, Jason Allan for sending us terrific pics to share of the recent QHS Open Boys Touch Football Team playing at the State Finals.Well done again to all the players, teachers and coaches involved.

QHS STATE TOUCH TEAM DIGS DEEP

Thursday 30 August 2018QHS Homework Centre 3.30 - 5pm HSC Art Workshops 3.30-5pmFriday 31 August 2018CHS Boys Open Basketball Training 8-9amFriday Night Rugby in Tamworth 4-8pmYoung Drivers Expo Yr 11Bronze Level BBQ & Year MeetingsMonday 3 September 2018QHS Concert Band Rehearsal 3.30-5pmYear 11 Yearly Exams September 3-7Tuesday 4 September 2018QHS Homework Centre 3.30 - 5pmPartner Schools’ Meeting 4.30pmYr 7 Clontarf Engagement DayWednesday 5 September 2018Creative Writing Club 3.30-5pmQHS Homework Centre 3.30 - 5pmWednesday Night Basketball Tamworth 5-9pm Thursday 6 September 2018QHS Homework Centre 3.30 - 5pmYear 11 Yearly ExamsCanada Parent Meeting 5.30pmFriday 7 September 2018CHS Boys open Basketball Training 8-9amYear 11 Yearly ExamsTuesday 11 September 2018QHS Homework Centre 3.30 - 5pmWednesday 12 September 2018Creative Writing Club 3.30-5pmQHS Homework Centre 3.30 - 5pmWednesday Night Basketball TamworthJunior Maths Exams - all day13 September 2018QHS Homework Centre 3.20 - 5pm2019 Captains Speeches pd 314 September 2018CHS Boys open Basketball Training 8-9amYr 7 Immunisations17 September 2018Preliminary VET Work PlacementQHS Concert Band Rehearsal 3.30-5pmNAIDOC Mystery Performance18 September 2018QHS Homework Centre 3.30 - 5pm Preliminary VET Work PlacementYear 7 to 12 Parent Teacher Night 4-7pm

What’s on...

Wk 1 A = Jul 24 - Jul 27Wk 2 B = Jul 30 - Aug 3Wk 3 A = Aug 6 - Aug 10Wk 4 B = Aug 13 - Aug 17Wk 5 A = Aug 20 - Aug 24Wk 6 B = Aug 27 - Aug 30Wk 7 A = Sept 3 - Sept 7Wk 8 B = Sept 10 - Sept 14Wk 9 A = Sept 17 - Sept 21Wk 10 B = Sept 23 - Sept 28T

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QHS participated in the Secondary School Oztag Gala Day last week. There were mixed results, but everyone from the boys and girls teams experienced wins.The girls teams played seven games, sometimes three in a row. Every student played to the best of their ability, were all well behaved and fantastic representatives of the school.

“We were very proud of their efforts and the way they presented themselves. The event was very well run and we had a great day,” said Teacher Mr Lasscock.Congratulations to all students and thank you to all Teachers involved in supporting our students, we also wish Molly Elford a safe recovery from her ankle injury, we are thinking of you Molly.

OZTAG GALA DAY

QHS welcomed 99 Year 5 students and their Teachers from across the region last Tuesday. The students experienced classes in Agriculture, Food Technology, Problem Solving, Physical Education and Language Other Than English. Visiting students made Indonesian puppets in LOTE, mini quiches in Hospitality, drafted sheep and cattle in Agriculture, made egg parachutes in Problem Solving and learnt more about fitness

and Dodge Ball in Physical Education.What a great day of learning and new friendships our Year 5 Taster Day students experienced. Thank you to the following Teachers for assisting: Mr Beresford, Physical Education. Mr Harries and Miss Sozou, Agriculture. Ms Saunders, Food Technology. Miss Stock, (Happy Birthday) Problem Solving and Mrs Stenner, Language Other Than English.

QHS HOST TASTER DAY